Viewing all items in Resource Category: Editorial

The original St Valentine gave love in the form of compassion for some needy children. That sort of love is still needed today, as UNICEF says that about 1 billion children worldwide are currently facing ‘multidimensional poverty.’  That means they lack necessities like food, water, shelter, education and health care. No one can get their...

If you skip breakfast in your middle age, it can make you fatter and unhealthy. Instead, a recent study advises that having a well-balanced breakfast helps manage daily calorie intake and lower cholesterol, BMI and waist size. Breakfast “serves the critical role of breaking the extended fasting period from sleep.” NHS guidelines recommend 2,000 calories...

Some people are beginning to clap in church, if they are pleased with something. For tired vicars and timid curates, having a sermon greeted with warm clapping might be an encouragement, if also a complete surprise. But the applauding of sermons, or applause at the end of services, also reveals a dark side: churchgoing has...

– the enjoyment of romance If you have been hurt in your search for romantic love, Gabriel Possenti (1838-62) may be a good saint for you. Because Possenti, born to the governor of Assisi, began by having it all. He grew up doing the mid-19th century equivalent of eBay, nightclubs, cinema and online dating, only...

Where can family-minded birds raise their young these days? As our gardens and parklands become smaller and tidier, too many natural nest sites – such as holes in trees, old buildings and unkempt hedgerows – are rapidly disappearing No wonder that our sparrows, greenfinches and swifts are in precipitous decline, and that one in four...

Some time ago a scientist was invited to speak at the Dewsbury Women’s Institute. He spoke about his research on polymers, hoping that the women of this Yorkshire mill town would connect with his desire to develop new fibres. One person in particular, a woman called Betty who had worked in a mill since the...

It seems that keeping your heart reasonably healthy may not take a lot of time. Researchers at the University of Sydney have found a link between short but intense bursts of activity and a significant drop in heart disease among people who otherwise engage in little activity. Sedentary women who did just 3.4 minutes of...

There is a story of two men talking about their new vicar. One says to the other, “This new one’s not a patch on the old vicar. With the old one preaching I was asleep in five minutes. With the new one it takes all of ten.” Some churches in times past employed ‘sluggard-walkers’ who...

Observations on Love… Marriage is more than finding the right person; it is being the right person. – Anon ‘One plus one equals one’ may not be an accurate mathematical concept, but it is an accurate description of God’s intention for the marriage relationship. – Wayne Mack Marriage is the ultimate invitation to growth in...

Hearing A tiny lady was the guest preacher. A few minutes into her sermon, she paused and said: “Can you all hear me at the back?”  A kind voice replied: “We can hear you fine. But sadly, we can’t quite see you.” ** Church service An auntie took her very young niece to church. When...

Woodcarving isn’t as straightforward as it seems. You don’t begin with a block of wood; you begin with a piece of paper. The first step is to draw a plan of what you want to carve, and only when you’ve got that right do you start to shape your piece of wood. The carver then...

– and poet If we were to name someone prominent from the 17th century, we might mention Rembrandt or Shakespeare. It is unlikely we would remember George Herbert. However, he was a prolific writer, a gifted speaker and musician. His hymns are still sung today. Herbert was born into a wealthy family in Mid-Wales on...